Toothed coupling



Aug. 24, 1954 E. WILDHABER TOOTHED COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 51, 1945 INVENTOR.

m M i w Mum my N Aug. 24, 1954 E. WILDHABER TOOTHED COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 51, 1945 mmvron. HWEST W/LDHABER. Q! 41% HTTORNEY Patented Aug. 24, 1954 TO OTHED COUPLING.

Ernest Wildhaber, Brighton; N; Y., assi'gnor to Gleason Works, Rochester, N. 16., acorporation of New York Original application July 31, 1945, Serial No.

608,071, now Patent No. 2,538,999, dated January 23, 1951. Divided and this application January 10, 1951, Serial No. 205,312

2 Claims.

1 The present invention is a division of my copending application Serial No. 608,071, filed. July 31, 1945, now Patent No. 2,538,999 granted J anuary 23, 1951 and relates to toothed couplings and particularly to toothed couplings of the type constructed to maintain driving connection between two rotating parts even when the parts are in angular misalignment. In a more particular aspect, the invention relates to toothed couplings in which one member is an internally toothed member and the other member is an externally toothed member and in which the tooth sides of at least one member are crowned in order to permit theteeth of the two members to remain in power transmitting engagement in spite of angular misalignment of the two members and the parts which they connect.

Ordinarily, in toothed couplings of the character described, the teeth of the internally toothed member are straight longitudinally and the teeth of the externally toothed member are crowned so as to be longitudinally convex. The crowning of the teeth of the external member enables the coupling to transmit power in spite of moderate angularity between the axes of the shafts connected by the coupling. Hence, the coupling has to a limited degree the function of a universal joint and may be called a semi-universal coupling.

Heretofore, coupling members of the type described were simply designed. along the lines of internally and externally toothed gears. The profiles and pressure angles or tooth inclinations of the coupling members were simply taken over from gear design. The teeth of the coupling members were providedwith involute tooth profiles because external and internal spur gears ordinarily have involute profiles, and the pressure angles employed on the teeth of the coupling members were the conventional pressure angles used for external and internal gears. Couplings constructed in this way have, however, limited load carrying capacity when misaligned and other disadvantages.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved coupling of the internally-ex ternally toothed type which will have smoother action and increased load capacity as compared. with prior design.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toothed coupling of the character described in which the coupling members may have tooth profile shapes which will permit of increased angular misalignment of the parts and which will still allow greater loads to be carried when the-parts are in misalignment. To this end, it is a further purpose of the invention to provide: a toothed coupling. in which the tooth surfaces may have.

larger pressure angles, partly for increased strength and partly to permit more crowning to be used on the teeth thereby to improve the action of the. coupling.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a coupling of the character described in which one member of the coupling. will be capable of centering itself. with respect. to the other member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide one embodiment of toothed coupling of the character described having positive centering means so that the axes of the shafts connected by the couplings are made to intersect positively and: at a. definite pointl Av further object. of the invention is to provide a. toothed coupling of the character described which can be produced accurately at low cost by either cutting or grinding.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specifications and from the recital of the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an. internally toothed coupling member constructed according to one embodiment of. this invention and showing fragmentarily the mating; externally toothed member in engagement therewith, and further illustrating some of. the principles on which the present invention is based;

Fig. 2 isza view taken at right angles to the view oi. Fig. l and showing the internally toothed member wholly and. the externally toothed member partly in axial section;

Fig; 3 is an end-view of the externally toothed member of the coupling;-

Figs, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views explaining certain principles underlying the invention;

Fig. 6 is a velocity diagram of' the motion of the coupling members;

Fig. 7 is a velocity diagram. of the motion of the driven member of the coupling grossly exaggerated; f

Fig. 8 isa. fragmentary View showing a coupling built according. to a. modification of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing a coupling designed according to a still further modification of. the invention;.

Fig. 10 is a sectionalview of this'latter coupling, taken at right anglesto the view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view illustrating one way of producing the externally toothed member of a coupling constructed according to this invention;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary end view of the externally toothed member shown in Fig. 11, showing spaced tooth surfaces thereof lying in a common surface of revolution; and,

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the externally toothed member taken in the plane designated 13-[3 in Fig. 12.

In coupling members constructed according to the present invention, both members of the coupling pair are made with straight or very slightly curved tooth profiles. As will be demonstrated hereinafter, this gives increased tooth strength and better action.

In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, denotes the internally toothed member and 2! the externally toothed member of a coupling pair constructed according to one embodiment of the invention. The axis of the internally toothed member is denoted at 22 and the axis of the externally toothed member at 23. In Fig. 2, the two coupling members are shown angularly misaligned and the point of intersection of their axes is denoted at 24.

The opposite side surfaces 25 and 2% of the teeth 28 of the internally toothed member 28 are planes which are parallel to the axis 22 of that member. The teeth are symmetrical and have equal pressure angles on opposite sides. The term pressure angle as here used, means half the included angle between opposite sides 25 and 2b of a tooth of the internally toothed member or a tooth space of the externally toothed member, and is denoted at 115 in Fig. 1. In coupling members constructed according to this invention the pressure angle of the tooth sides is preferably made larger than 25 degrees. This is considerably different from the pressure angles heretofore used on internal-external toothed couplings, for the pressure angles of internal gears ordinarily run from 6 degrees to 20 degrees as the limit.

The teeth 38 of the externally toothed member 25 have side surfaces 3! and 32 which, like the side surfaces of the internally toothed member 20, have straight profiles, but the side surfaces 3! and 32 of member 2! are of convex lengthwise shape, that is, they are longitudinally crowned. The opposite sides 3! and 32 of a tooth space of the externally toothed member are conical surfaces and preferably are made as coaxial conical surfaces. Two of such surfaces are shown at 38 and 39 in Fig. 3. The common axis 3d of these surfaces is perpendicular to the axis 23 of the member 25 and passes through the longitudinal center M of that member. The center 2d constitutes the point of intersection of the axes 22 and 23 of the two coupling members when they are in use. 7

The normal 33 to a conical tooth side of the coupling member M at a mean point 29 (Fig. 1) of contact between the two coupling members intersects the axis 3d of said conical tooth side at a point which is the center of lengthwise tooth curvature of the tooth surface at mean point 29. Let the cone angle of the conical tooth surface be denoted by a. It is the angle between an element 29-3l of the conical tooth surface and the axis 3d of the tooth surface.

The action of the coupling will now be analyzed with reference to the diagram of Fig. 4 which refers to a position of misalignment of the axes 22 and 23 of the two coupling members. The point of intersection of the two axes is again denoted at 26. It is also the point of intersection of the axes of the several conical tooth sides of the externally toothed member 30. The position of the intersection point 24 is maintained through natural balance by the engagement of diametrically opposite teeth of the clutch members, or it may also be maintained positively as will be described further hereinafter.

The motion between the two coupling members will first be analyzed as if only a single tooth of each was in engagement and as if the other teeth of the coupling members did not exist.

Fig. 4 is a view along the axis 22 of the internally toothed member. The circle 40 is the path of the center 35 of lengthwise curvature of a tooth surface of the externally toothed member 2| when the axes 22 and 23 of the two coupling members are in alignment. 24-3'l is a straight line drawn through center 24 tangent to a circle 38 drawn about center 35 with a radius 35-4? equal to:

( 24-35) sin a Line 243-37 is parallel to that tooth profile of the internally toothed member which is engaged when point 29 is the point of contact.

If the externally toothed member 2| is now set to an angular position with reference to the internally toothed member with its axis 23 inclined to the axis 22 of the internally toothed member without changing the angular position of the center 35 about axis 23, that is, without changing the turning angle 0 of member 2|, the axis 23. of member 21 will be projected as a horizontal line, and the point 35 will move in a circle about an axis 43 perpendicular to axis 23 to a new position 35'. The plane of this circle is perpendicular to the drawing plane of Fig. 4 so that it is projected as a straight line 44. The new position of the line 24-37 is obtained by drawing the line 3i tangent to the circle 38' which is circumscribed about the new center 35 with the radius 353'l.

Fig. 4 is a view along the axis of the internally toothed member and therefore also along the plane tooth sides of this member and along planes parallel to these tooth sides. All said planes appear, therefore, as straight lines in Fig. 4. Moreover, the conical surface, which is drawn parallel to a conical tooth surface of coupling member 22 and which contains element 24-37, contacts with a plane drawn parallel to the mating plane tooth side of coupling member 20 in a line projected as line 3?. Furthermore, point 35 is at the same distance 35-47 from said plane as it is from the last named conical surface and from the plane 2fi-3l. Hence, the above construction gives the exact turning displacement (ice of the internally toothed member. This displacement varies with the turning angle 0 of the externally toothed member. (0+ x+doc) can be considered as the turning angle of the internally toothed member. Here do: has a varying relationship to the turning angle 0 of the external member, while at is a constant.

In analyzing the departure from uniform motion of one member as compared with the other, it is thus found that only the term do: affects it. The above construction for angle do; can be expressed by formulas and corresponding turning angles can then be exactly computed.

The problem can be greatly simplified by resorting to an approximation which is found to be excellent. Distance 35-35 is actually very small and is shown much exaggerated for the purposes of explanation. The misalignment angle m shown in Fig. 2 is 3, but this results actually in such a small distance 35-35 that th'isdistance must be increased a hundred times to give distances such as shown in Fig. 4. With shaft misalignment, the circular path 40 of point.

35 is projected as an ellipse 4| which actually is so close to circle 40 that it would be impossible to draw it separately were the conditions not exaggerated.

can be considered as the variable part of the velocity of the internally toothed member in proportion to the velocity of the externally toothed member.

is the velocity of the internally toothed member for unit velocity of the externally toothed member. This quantity is shown plotted in Fig. 6 as ordinates while the turning angles or angles of rotation (060) of the members are plotted horizontally as abscissas.

Point 45 has an abscissas (0-00) :0. Point 46 ,is 180 from point 45and has an abscissa internally toothed member when a pair of teeth of the two members is in continuous contact as the parts which they connect revolve on their axes. Of course, the fluctuations are substantially the same regardless of which member moves at a uniform rate.

The velocity curve as well as the displacement curve are sine curves of twice the turning angle; This means that they are exactly the sameafter member has actually also "been moved through one pitch and has been lifted away from contact at the previously engaged teeth.

It should be understood that the preceding analysis is based on rigid bodies without any elasticity, and that lack of contact should be taken in mathematical sense. Physical contact may still exist when the mathematical separation is so small that it can be overcome by elastic deflection of the contacting teeth and members.

Contact between the coupling members takes place on the teeth which stand out farthest by reason of the angularity of the shafts of the coupling members. The tooth having portion is one such tooth. The area underneath the sine curve 49 from point 45 to the right is smaller than the corresponding area underneath the straight line 48 up to point 46. At this point the two areas are equal. Contact exists therefore at the two positions 45 and 46; that is, simultaneous contact exists on the two diametrically opposite teeth of the coupling members which correspond to these positions. The two teeth stay in contact as the motion proceeds, until they have moved through about half a pitch. Dotted line ordinates 41' to the right of points 45 and 46 indicate the positions when the engaging teeth pass out of contact.

One pitch to the left from said dotted lines 41 are other dotted lines 41" which also fulfill the condition of contact. The area between said dotted lines 41' and 41", which are one pitch apart and bounded on the top by the curve 49, is equal to the area between said dotted lines and bounded on top by straight line 48. There is therefore simultaneous contact on two adjacent teeth of a coupling member in each of the two every half turn. If 45 is considered a start of an undul'ation, 4B the first.

As well known to those familiar with mathematics, the displacement can also be measured by the area beneath the velocity curve 49. Startisanother start, 180 away from ing with position 45, the displacement or turning angle of the internally toothed member for .a turning angle of one pitch of the externally toothed member can be measured by the shaded area shown in Fig. 6. The turning angle of one pitch of the externally toothedmember corresponds to an area of the same width but of rectangular shape whose upper end would be the straight line 48. The shaded area is smaller than said rectangular area, which means that the assumed tooth contact moves the internally toothed member through somewhat less than a whole .pitch. However, after motion of the externally toothed member through one pitch, a pair of subsequent teeth have moved into contact and are in the position 45 so that the internally toothed diagonally opposite regions. The two teeth do not transmit exactly the same motion, however. The newly engaged tooth drives at a somewhat faster rate and therefore lifts the previously meshing teeth out of engagement.

The actual velocity diagram of the driven member of the coupling is as shown exaggerated in Fig. '7. With rigid bodies the velocity changes suddenly at each new tooth engagement as a pair of mating teeth arrive at the position of driving contact and the velocity curve is a serrated line such as shown at 49'. Whether or not these speed changes may be absorbed fully or partly by resilience of the parts can be estimated with the present analysis which determines the basic separations. It is also possible to estimate how many teeth carry the load.

When contact exists at positions 45, 46 (Fig. 6) which correspond to diametrically opposite teeth, the separation of adjacent mating teeth can be computed with Formula 1 above which can also be written as:

(lcos m)[ cos 2(06 da- "-2 9-l9o is zero for positions 45, 46 and is equal to which gives the angular separation of adjacent teeth..

- tively.

7 When Rb denotes the radius 24-29 (Fig. 1), where mean normal 29-35 comes closest to axis 22, the linear separation measured normal to the tooth side is (1 cos m) 8 Rb 2 cos a For angularities s of 1, 2, and 3 respectively, (l-cos n) =0.00015, 0.00061, and 0.00137, respec- The. quantity within the brackets depends on the tooth member 11.. For an eighteen tooth coupling, for instance,

1-cos and the bracket quantity amounts to .23396. In conventional type tooth couplings and in the tooth coupling shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the angle oz is the complement of the tooth pressure angle It is shown as 45" in Fig. 1. The cosine of 45 is 0.70711. Inasmuch as the quantity cos 0c appears as a divisor in Equation 7 and inasmuch as the value of the cosine of an angle decreases with increase in size of the angle, it will be obvious that the smaller the pressure angle of the teeth of the coupling members, the larger the separation between the teeth. If the tooth pressure angle were 15, for instance, a would be 75 and the cosine of 0c would then be 0.25882 which would mean that the tooth separations would be 2.732 times larger than with the shown pressure angle of 45. The advantage of using increased pressure angle as is the case in couplings constructed according to the present invention is, therefore, evident. I

For a pressure angle 45, the computed separation of adjacent teeth of an eighteen tooth coupling is for instance only 0.0000248", 0.0001009", and 0.0002266", respectively, per inch of radius Rb for angles m of misalignment of the shafts equal to 1, 2, and 3, respectively. These separations are so small that they are apt to be overcome by elastic deflection. The reduction in tooth separation with couplings constructed according to the present invention are of additional advantage because the separation is a measure of the roughness of the transmitted motion or of the smoothness thereof.

It follows from Fig. 6 and from Formula 4a which can be transformed into: a

(l-cos m) s-R;, a [1 cos 2(0 0 (8) that the maximum separation between adjacent teeth of the coupling is obtained when cos 2 (0-00) has its maximum negative value of (-1) that is, when 2 (00o)=180 and (00o)=90.

The maximum separation (1cos m) cos a (9) which, when 0:45", equals per inch radius Rb 0.00021, 0.00086, and 0.00194, respectively, for misalignment angles of 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

The first mentioned maximum separation is small enough that it maybe overcome by the elasticity of the parts. In that case, all the teeth carry the load but some of them carry more than others.

Where angle 0-00 45", cos 2 (000)=cos 90=0 and the value 3 is one half of sm. One half of the teeth will carry the load when /2 sm is just at the limit of the elastic deflection or yield obtained.

The percentage of the teeth which carry the load and the load capacity increase with increasing pressure angle and with decreasing angle of misalignment of the axes of the connected parts. With a coupling constructed according to this invention, the radial tooth loads are balanced, and larger pressure angles do not mean more bearing loads as is the case with gears.

The minimum backlash required between teeth of a coupling constructed according to this invention can be determined'from consideration of Fig. 4. Contact corresponding to position 45 (Fig. 6) is obtained when 00o, that is, when The center of curvature 35 of the contacting tooth sides is then in position 35. If the externally toothed member is then moved to a position where the axes of the two shafts align, the center of curvature moves back from point 35 to point 35 and the previously contacting teeth will separate. The separation in the horizontal direction is equal to distance 35-35 on each of the two opposite tooth sides; and in the direction normal to the tooth sides it is equal to the projection of distance 35-35 to the tooth normal 35-31. The angle included between the line 35-35 and the normal 35-31, when 0:00, equals:

The projection of distance 35-35 to the said normal therefore amounts to:

(35-35) cos 0o=(2 l35) cos 0o (1 cos m) taking the value for distance (35-35) previously determined.

cos 0! cos a The minimum required backlash when the axes are aligned to stand shaft misalignment of m, is therefore per tooth side:

lco w i where The total minimum backlash required is then:

-cos 0 =2s -cos 0 cos 0: 0

cos 0 2 2 and the backlash is equal to:

l+sin a R (1 cos m)-- a revolution having an axis-62 t].

should be long enough to contain safely thedisplaced position of contact whenflthe axes of the coupling members are misaligned. 3 1 r It is apparent from the above analysis that the motion transmitted by the coupling, when: one pair of teethonly is assumed incontact, is identical with the motion of a spherical linkagawhose :axes of rotation 22 and 23 as well asthe. link axes all intersect at one point 24.. 3 is the link axisof one member and 34 is the link axis of: the other member. 34" is drawnthroughcenter 24. peripendicular to a plane sidetooth surface of the internally toothed member whichplane contains point 'of contact 29. The plane canbe considered a surface of revolution having an axis .34

The plane and conical tooth surfacesiusedonrthe two coupling members-give an exact spherical solution.

Fig.8 illustrates a modification of the inven ofconcave profile shape while the side surfaces 56 and 51 of the externally toothed member are of convexprofile shape. 53 denotes the common tooth normal at mean point of contact 60 between mating teeth. The profile of i the externally toothed memb-er may be a circular are centered at GI, and its tooth surface may be a spherical surface which can be considereda surface of deno the position of the axes of both internally toothed and externally toothed members when in alignment. It is the intersection point of the axes when misaligned. The tooth profile of the internally toothed member 59 may be a circular are centered at 63 having a larger radius of curvature Gil- 33 than the tooth profile of the mating externally toothed member 5!. The teeth of the internally toothed member are longitudinally straight. Side tooth surfaces of the internally toothed member 56 are, therefore, cylindrical surfaces. These can be considered more or less approximate surfaces of revolution whose axes pass through center 62. One such axis is shown at 65 to be parallel to the normal 58. The motion transmitted by this embodiment is substantially the same as that transmitted by the first de scribed embodiment of the invention.

On account of the aforesaid approximation, a

difference in profile curvature of the two memhers is imperative to avoid displacement of the tooth bearing to the top or bottom of the tooth profile. With moderate profile curvatures as shown, only a moderate difference in profile curvatures is required. If the coupling members had substantially curved profiles, like conventional involute gear profiles, substantial differences in profile curvature would be required, with the result that the two members would have merely point contact with one another. reduce the load carrying capacity of the coupling substantially.

In accordance with the present invention, the profile radius of the internally toothed coupling member at a mean point 6!! of the contacting This would tooth surfaces is. larger than half the. distance Ba-4520f said mean point from the axis 52 of the coupling member and larger than one. half of the outside radius of ;the externally toothed coupling member 5i, usually much larger.

A further modification of'the invention isillustratedin Figs. 9 and 10. Here positive means are used to make the axes of the two members intersectinthe same point lZregardleSs of the misalignment of the axes of the twomembers. The internally toothed member is designated Ill and the externally toothed member TI. The point 12 is a :point lying in a transverse plane which is perpendicular to the axis 14 .ofthe externally toothed member at a point midway between the ends of the .teeth 'l fi of the externally toothed member. The axis of the internally toothed member is denoted at 15 and its teeth at H. The side surfacesot the teeth of the internally toothed member may be plane or may be curved as in theupreviouslydescribed embodiments of the invention. The. externally toothed member is formed with an outside spherical surface I8 whose center is at 172 andthe teeth of this member are so proportioned for thickness that the outside spherical. surface 18 bears against the cylindrical inside surface l9 of the bottoms of the tooth spaces of the internally toothed member 10, Positivecentering of the two coupling members relative to one another is thus obtained regardless of the angularposition of the axis of the externally toothed member with reference to the axis of the internally toothed member of the coupling. i I i i r i .One way of producing an externally toothed coupling member according to this invention is illustratedin Fig: 11. Here a face mill type cutter stliswemployed having inside cutting edges: 8!. This cutter is so positionedrel'ative to the externally toothed coupling member 84 to be cut thatitsz axis 85 intersects the axis 86 of the coupling member at a point midway between the ends of the teeth of the coupling member. Op-. posite sides 8! and 8B of spaced teeth of the coupling member 84 are then out simultaneously by the inside cutting edges 8| of the cutter, the cutter being rotated on its axis 85 while a relative depthwise feed movement is effected between the cutter and the work in the direction of axis 85. At full depth position the final tooth shape is produced on the work and is a counterpart of the internal cutting surface of the cutter, that is, of the surface described by the inside cutting edges 8! of the cutter as it rotates on its axis. The tooth surfaces 87 and 88 produced on opposite sides of spaced teeth of the work are, therefore, common conical surfaces whose axis is at 85. After one pair of opposite sides of spaced teeth of the coupling member have been out, the cutter is withdrawn from engagement with the work, and the workis indexed. Then the feed begins anew to out another pair of opposite sides of spaced teeth of the coupling member. So the operation may proceed until all of the tooth sides have been out.

As will be seen from Fig. 11, the two teeth, whose surfaces 81 and 88 lie in the common surface of revolution about axis 85, lie within a single quadrant of the member 84, i. e. are disposed at an angle of ninety degrees or less to each other about axis 86. This is necessary to enable the tool 89 to be fed and withdrawn along axis 85 to and from the position wherein it forms the tooth surfaces.

The common surface of revolution of which tooth surfaces 81 and 88 are parts is a cone 90 which is shown in broken lines in Fig. 12. The

base of this cone, lying in plane l3l3 of Fig. 12, is a circle, so that as viewed in Fig. 13 the bottoms of both tooth surfaces 01 and 88 are arcs of the same circle.

The tip cutting edges 89 of the cutter cut the bottom of the tooth spaces of the work and constitute approximately a spherical surface whose center is approximately at the point 86 of intersection of the axes of the cutter and work, namely, at apoint lying on the axis of the work approximately midway between the ends of the teeth of the work.

It will be obvious that the tooth surfaces of the member 84 can be ground instead of cut, with an annular grinding wheel having a grinding surface the same as the cutting surface of cutter 80, by effecting the same motion between the wheel and the work as described between the cutter and the work. In fact, since the grinding wheel is a cutter having an infinite number of cutting edges, when the terms cutter or cutting edges are used either in the present specification or in the claims, it will be understood that they are intended to include grinding wheels and grinding edges.

The internally toothed member with its longitudinally straight teeth may be produced in any suitable knownway such as by broaching, shaping, or other methods.

Several different embodiments have been described to illustrate the principles of the invention. It will be understood, however, that various other embodiments and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and may be made Without departing from the principles of this invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toothed coupling for connecting sharts that are subject to angular misalignment, comprising an internally toothed member and an externally toothed member, the internally toothed member having longitudinally straight teeth which extend parallel to its axis, the externally toothed member having teeth whose opposite sides are longitudinally convex conical 'surfaces, opposite sides of spaced teeth of said externally toothed member, which teeth lie within a single quadrant, being parts of a common conical sur-- face whose axis is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of said externally toothed member.

2. A toothed coupling for connecting shafts that are subject to angular misalignment, comprising an internally toothed member and an externally toothed member, the internally toothed member having longitudinally straight teeth which extend parallel to its axis, the externally toothed member having teeth whose opposite sides are longitudinally convex surfaces of revolution, opposite sides of spaced teeth of said externally toothed member, which teeth lie within the same quadrant, being parts of a common surface of revolution whose axis is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of said externally toothed member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

